Nashville Lawyer Blog

LEGAL FACTS ABOUT THE NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE FLOOD OF 2010
Now that the flood waters are receding, we as Tennesseans have to start dealing with the aftermath of the greatest natural disaster to ever hit Middle Tennessee. As we assess the damage, we are encountering problems from places we never even considered- our insurance companies.

Many Tennesseans, being forced to confront dramatic life-altering events, are trying to pick up the pieces. Unfortunately, a large number of people are contacting their insurance companies, only to find they are not covered for water damage caused by the storm. A great many homeowners wrongly thought they were protected, only to find their insurance agent neglected to sell them the proper and necessary insurance.

What are you going to do if you are not covered from water damage? Did your insurance agent fail to tell you about flood insurance? Did he or she explain the difference between damage from flood waters and damage from surface water? Did he or she tell you that you could have been protected from the storm? If he did not, and you are damaged as a result, you may have recourse in court.

Continue reading "Did your Insurance agents do all they could to get you flood insurance before the Nashville flood?" »

A Nashville resident, Anthony McCoy, recovered $95,000 from Metro in a highly publicized lawsuit covered by the Tennessean. Mr. McCoy suffered significant dental damage when a Metro Sheriff's Deputy forceably ripped his cemented dental grill out of his mouth.

Read the entire article here:
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100316/NEWS03/3160334/Ripping+grill+off+teeth+of+man+in+custody+costs+Metro++100+000For questions about this or any legal matters, please contact David Raybin or any of the attorneys at Hollins, Raybin & Weissman, PC at draybin@hwylaw.com or 615-256-6666.

The attorneys and staff at Hollins, Raybin & Weissman, PC congratulate David Raybin for his great work on behalf of an incarcerated man whose dental grill was forceably ripped out by a Sheriff's deputy.

The incident in November started with McCoy's arrest after failing to pay child support. A sheriff's deputy told him to remove the gold grill attached to his teeth. But when McCoy, 31, told the deputy it was permanently attached, Lt. Tanya Mayhew stepped in. She put on a rubber glove, stuck her hand in his mouth and yanked out the gold jewelry grill cemented to his teeth.

Mr. McCoy had the enamel on his front four teeth ripped away and was denied proper medical treatment afterward. He asked to see a dentist but was given Tylenol instead. It took 10 days locked away before the dentist came.

The incident left his teeth disfigured and needed at least $10,000 in dental work. Metro lawyers have scrambled to reach a $95,000 legal settlement, including pain and suffering.

Many attorneys would likely avoid representing an individual under such circumstances. However, at Hollins, Raybin & Weissman, we believe justice is not reserved only for the rich. Kudos to David Raybin for exemplifying this behavior.

David may be reached about personal injury, criminal defense, or any other legal matters at draybin@hwylaw.com or 615-256-6666.

In Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday morning, a suspected drunken driver crashed into a police car after hitting several other cars. The police were called by a woman who said she was the victim of a hit and run. When they pulled the suspect over, he backed up and hit the police cruiser. Fortunately the officer was not hurt.

While this sounds like news of the weird, from the personal injury lawyer's point of view, two interesting points are raised. First, if you are involved in a car accident, or any accident for that matter, get thoroughly checked out by a doctor before declaring you are not injured. Ofttimes, it takes a day or two before you become aware you are hurt. It certainly doesn't help your case to have a premature statement that you suffered no injuries.

Second, in the case of a drunk driver, the alcohol is almost certain to be an aggravating factor. This subjects the drunk driver to a claim for punitive damages. Punitive damages in Tennessee are appropriate in the case where the defendant acts intentionally, maliciously, fraudulently, or recklessly.

If you have any questions about this or any other personal injury matter, please feel free to call Dave Weissman at 615-256-6666.